Ruth Coffman, Student Work

 

Transformation 1

First marks made on white paper. Completed in class. 

Gesso and paper

36" x 24"

Transformation 2

Interiors

36" x 24"

For this transformation, I tried a new process of drawing on tracing paper and then pasting it with gesso, drawing-side down, to the large piece of paper. I was very pleased with the results of this process and I am excited to carry it with me into the future. Additionally, I enjoyed making many similar drawings of the same subject matter. It creates a rhythm to the work that I find interesting.

Transformation 3 

Interiors (single chair)

36" x 24"

For this transformation, I continued layering gesso and tracing paper, but this time I did not draw on the tracing paper. I wanted to explore negative space, so I kept one little chair in the top corner and covered everything else. I like the haziness that this process produced and I enjoyed the wrinkles in the gesso and tracing paper created. I would have liked to add a few more layers, but for the sake of time I kept it to two layers. By this point, the surface became very thick and stiff, holding its shape off the wall which was exciting. 

Transformation 4

Chair

38" x  24"

This transformation is my favorite visually, but it was my least favorite process. First, I painted the entire surface black, and then cut out the shape of the chair. To carry all the pieces on to the next transformation, I had to figure out what to do with a ton of extra material. I cut it into strips and glued them to the back of the chair, which lifted it off the wall a bit and created an interesting shadow. With the rest of the remnants, I created an environment for the chair with two white squares. I wish that I had been more precise cutting the strips because it was very difficult to make them line up with the chair outline. Overall, I enjoyed the process of translating a three-dimensional object to a two-dimensional silhouette. 

Transformation 5 

Chair (Enshrined)

42" x 26"

For my final transformation, I encased the chair in a layer of tracing paper and combined it with the  brown paper I used to paint the chair on for the previous transformation. I think the addition of brown worked nicely in this piece, but I am not entirely happy with how the tracing paper looks in this final version. I wanted to adhere the tracing paper somehow, but I did not want to use gesso because I didn't want to obscure the black and brown of the chair and the paper. I took a lot of risks with this transformation, which I am proud of myself for doing.